With the NGV’s encyclopedic collecting history, the collection spans all types of painting media, including Egyptian encaustic, tempera, European oil paints, contemporary synthetic polymer paints and Australian natural binding media. Similarly, the collection houses paintings on all types of traditional supports such as canvas and wood panels, along with Australian bark, and a huge variety of modern materials that have been used as supports over the past century.
The current painting conservation team consists of four conservators, including specialists dedicated to pre-twentieth century, twentieth century, contemporary and indigenous paintings. Our Conservation Art Technician is responsible for upgrading frame housing systems for the paintings, including protective backing boards on the reverse and low-reflectance glass on the front. Special storage units are also created for the most vulnerable paintings to ensure they can be handled and transported safely.
The studio maintains a work program centered around practical conservation treatments. Recent major projects include the Rembrandt studio portrait of Rembrandt, James Tissot’s An Interesting Story, Marie-Victoire Lemoine’s A young woman leaning on the edge of a window, El Greco’s Portrait of a Cardinal (St. Bonaventure), Murillo’s Immaculate Conception, Constance Stokes’ Portrait of a woman in a green dress, and Peter Upward’s Untitled (Blue).
Alongside practical treatments, the studio is involved in technical research. Current research projects include a database compiling the materials and techniques of living artists featured in the NGV collection sourced from the artists themselves; an in-depth technical survey of paintings by British artists in the NGV as part of the Gallery’s British Collection Online project; and a research project documenting the use of varnishes by Australian artists.
We have an active outreach program consisting of publications, multimedia and educational events such as lectures, conferences and workshops, and we are regularly engaged in collaborative projects with external partners such as CSIRO and the AICCM.